Crashed on I-95 or I-595 in Broward? What to do, and which agency writes your crash report

Broward’s interstates do not leave much room for a crash. I-95 runs the length of the county, I-595 carries traffic east and west between the suburbs, Port Everglades, and the airport, and the two meet at an interchange that stays busy most of the day. In winter, add rental cars from FLL and drivers who are new to the lane changes. When something goes wrong out there, the first practical question people ask us is a simple one: who wrote the report, and how do I get it?

The short answer is that the highway patrol usually handles the interstates and local agencies handle everything else. The longer answer matters, because the agency decides where your report lives and how fast you can get it.

Who responds to a crash in Fort Lauderdale and the rest of Broward?

Where the crash happened	Agency that usually writes the report
I-95, I-595, Florida’s Turnpike, the Sawgrass Expressway (SR 869)	Florida Highway Patrol (FHP)
Streets inside Fort Lauderdale city limits, such as Broward Blvd, Sunrise Blvd, Las Olas Blvd, or Andrews Ave	Fort Lauderdale Police Department (FLPD)
Unincorporated Broward and the cities that contract with the sheriff	Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO)
Cities with their own departments, such as Hollywood, Plantation, Coral Springs, or Pembroke Pines	That city’s police department

Exit ramps, frontage roads, and the first block off the interstate are where this gets blurry. Do not guess. Ask the officer, “Which agency are you with?” and write the answer next to the report number.

What should I do before I leave the shoulder?

1. Get out of the lanes if you can. When only property is damaged and the cars still drive, Florida law expects you to move them out of traffic if it is safe to do so (Fla. Stat. § 316.061). On I-95 that means the shoulder or the next ramp. If someone is hurt or a car will not move, stay buckled in with hazards on and call 911.
2. Call 911 and say whether anyone is hurt. A report from the responding agency carries far more weight with insurers than your own account.
3. Photograph the scene before tow trucks clear it. Lane positions, damage on every car, plates, debris, the nearest mile marker or exit sign, and the light and weather. Interstate scenes are cleared quickly.
4. Trade information and keep the conversation short. Names, addresses, license, registration, and insurance (Fla. Stat. § 316.062). Skip any talk about fault.
5. If the other driver takes off, note the plate and direction for 911. Leaving a crash where someone was injured is a felony in Florida (Fla. Stat. § 316.027).
6. Leave with the report number and the agency name. Those two details are how the report is found later.

How do I get the report once it is filed?

Most Florida crash reports, whether written by FHP, FLPD, BSO, or a city department, can be requested through the Florida Crash Portal run by the state. When someone is hurt, killed, or a car is towed, the officer has 10 days to file the written report (Fla. Stat. § 316.066(1)). During the first 60 days the report is restricted to the drivers and passengers involved, their insurers, and their attorneys (Fla. Stat. § 316.066(2)), so expect to confirm who you are.

If the portal search comes up empty, it is usually because the report is still in review, or because the search is being made under the wrong agency. That is one more reason to write the agency down at the scene.

What if no officer wrote a report?

For a minor crash with no injuries and no tow, officers sometimes leave the drivers to swap information and file a driver self-report. If you have any pain, though, say so before the officer leaves. A crash with an injury should have an official report, and it is much harder to create one weeks later.

Do I really need a doctor if I walked away from it?

Yes, and within 14 days. Florida’s PIP coverage pays only if your first treatment happens within 14 days of the crash (Fla. Stat. § 627.736(1)(a)). Interstate speeds produce neck, back, and head injuries that often feel minor on day one and much worse on day three. Broward Health Medical Center on S Andrews Ave and Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood are both Level I trauma centers, and an urgent care visit counts for PIP too. Read more about what PIP pays after a Broward crash.

What changes when the other vehicle belongs to the government?

If you were hit by a Broward County Transit bus, a BSO vehicle, a school bus, or a City of Fort Lauderdale truck, the claim runs through Florida’s sovereign immunity statute. That means a written notice to the agency before any lawsuit (Fla. Stat. § 768.28(6)) and a statutory limit on damages. None of that stops you from recovering, but it adds steps and time, so it is worth calling early.

Is the crash report the final word on who was at fault?

No. The report records what the officer saw and what the drivers said, and it often includes the officer’s view of who caused the crash. Insurers take that view seriously, but it is not a verdict. Fault in a Florida injury case is decided on all the evidence, and under Fla. Stat. § 768.81(6) you can still recover if you are found partly to blame, as long as your share is not more than 50 percent. Traffic cameras, dash cams, nearby business video, and witnesses can change the picture, and most of that footage does not last long.

What Wolfson & Leon does after a Broward highway crash

On the first call we ask where the crash happened, which agency responded, and when you were first treated. We pull the report, identify every insurance policy that might apply, including your own uninsured motorist coverage, and send preservation requests for video before it is recorded over. If a government vehicle was involved, we start the notice process right away. You have two years to file suit for a crash on or after March 24, 2023 (Fla. Stat. § 95.11), but evidence goes much faster than that.

Our office is at 110 SE 6th St #1717 in downtown Fort Lauderdale, about a block from the Broward County Courthouse, and our phones are answered 24 hours a day. Call (754) 305-0820. The first conversation is free and can be in English or Spanish, and you pay no fee unless the firm recovers money for you.